"The…Leaky Cauldron?" Yugi asked as he followed their rather odd gathering into the darkly lit bar, smelling instantly the scent of distilled beverages and those who had been drinking them there for lonely nights on end. He made sure to stay as close to Harry as he could; he was perhaps the only person he felt he could trust at this point. He had only just met Hagrid and Dumbledore after all, and this situation was becoming more and more unbelievable with each passing moment.
"It's our passage into Diagon Alley, just going through the back and the brick wall one would think led into a vacant lot," Harry said with a comfortable smile, as though this were all so familiar that he could have cared less that they were getting stares from the seedy company they shared in the pub. They finally reached the brick wall out behind the building, the predawn light beginning to grow quite vibrant as they crossed the barren grounds.
"Watch this here magic Yu-gee," Hagrid said with a small grin, taking out his obviously damaged wand and bringing the seemingly ordinary beam of wood to the wall, tapping specific places and then withdrawing swiftly.
Yugi watched in fascination as the bricks themselves folded upon one another, slowly vanishing momentarily so they could find passage into the new world that Yugi couldn't see over Hagrid and Dumbledore. They moved across where the barrier had been quickly, and Yugi listened as the wall reappeared and continued to keep prying Muggle eyes from this unseen place.
He had never seen so many strange but interesting shops all in a row, ranging from windows displaying hovering broomsticks to people exiting stores with their arms full of thick, ancient-looking texts covered in layers of dust. And everyone also wore robes similar to the ones Dumbledore had appeared in, long and old-fashioned garments of varying colors and lengths, but all unique in Yugi's eyes. He felt so out-of-place in his entirely blue pajamas that he had traveled throughout the entire night in, and was half-covered in grime from their escape still.
"So this is Diagon Alley? It's…amazing," Yugi admired, hardly able to absorb everything they witnessed as they walked. He did take notice, however, that his companions barely acknowledged any of the wondrous objects and people that passed them; it seem they truly had been born or integrated into this world completely.
"Yup, this is where we're going to get you your school supplies for the coming term at Hogwarts," Harry said simply. Yugi hoped they would guide him in the right directions for said supplies considering he didn't have the faintest clue where to start.
"Hmmm, their devices are similar to what the Weasley's owned in their home. It seems this network of wizards and witches has been hidden very well and been in existence for quite some time," Yami observed through Yugi's eyes with a level tone. "But I am still worried; those 'Death Eaters' that attempted to harm you may be lurking somewhere here, and we may be unable to tell them apart from bystanders…"
'You need to stop being so concerned Yami; I may not have the countless years of wisdom that you do but I do have common sense. If I've learned anything from what happened back home, it's that evil stands out amongst the innocent, and is usually so vain it doesn't hide itself well,' Yugi thought to himself in reply.
"I trust you Yugi, it isn't that I'm questioning your judgment. It's making sure you're safe that I'm concerned with. I can use my magic against them, but if that horrible force returns once more…I won't be able to help you, and you could suffer because of this," Yami said, andYugi smiled faintly in gratitude for the spirit's worry of him.
'I know it's only because you care Yami, but I need to learn to take care of myself..'
"All right, here's our first stop, Madam Milkin's to get yer robes for the school year," Hagrid suddenly said, and Yugi found them standing before an enormous emporium of odd-appearing robes and garments, other people streaming in and out of the store as they entered.
"Uh…Mr. Dumbledore?" Yugi asked, looking to the ancient wizard as he turned to face to him. "I don't have any money with me to pay for anything."
"You needn't worry about expenses Yugi, there was some external revenue from Hogwarts which I've decided to delve into to handle this occasion," Dumbledore said with a grin, and this relieved a bit of Yugi's apprehension as they entered the crowded shop.
It seemed many of the other first years students were making purchases such as this, and there was little floor space for them to journey across as they attempted to find some suitable robes for Yugi.
As he was being fitted, he noticed Harry looked nervously about something. The boy would look over to the doors every time they opened or slammed shut, propelled by the winds increasing outdoors. The sky was becoming tremulous with preparing storm clouds, not helping with his once subtle alertness.
'Harry said he was used to this; if he's worried then I should probably be terrified,' Yugi thought to himself as he looked into the mirror before him, observing the long, slightly-too-big robes he had been roughly placed in by the working employee, a jittery young woman who seemed to find him adorable.
"Look at that wild hair of yours, it's going to be a little difficult getting some of these cloaks onto you," she said, wrenching several different black robes over his head. He thought he looked like some sort of phantom in the uniforms, but considering they were required he didn't speak at all and instead grimaced at the effect it was having on his hair. By the end, the once spiky ends of his hair were wilting from the experience.
They purchased the robes and moved on to a shabby little shop that Yugi didn't happen to catch the name of before they had already entered it, but immediately they were doused with faint darkness. Yugi looked all around; the walls were unseen behind the stacks of miscellaneous boxes, all slender and poised to have their contents revealed. Yugi restrained the urge to cough as dust was kicked up and listened as a bell rang when they entered.
"I'll be with you in a just a moment!" came a voice from way in the back of the shop, and their group waiting silently and patiently for the owner of the store. Yugi still had little idea what they had gone there to get.
"Oh, Harry! Haven't seen you since you came here to get your wand before your first year!" came a man's voice from ahead, and Yugi peered around Hagrid to see an aging man come bounding from the bowels of his shop, smeared with grime and adjusting his misaligned spectacles as he approached. "I hope you haven't been experiencing problems with your wand…"
"No, it's working like a charm Mr. Ollivander. We're actually here to get my friend's wand for his first year at Hogwarts," Harry said, and Yugi took this as his cue to present himself and stepped out from behind the veritable giant.
"Ah, well let's see. I'm afraid I don't have the selection I did a week ago, but new students have been filing through Diagon Alley all week and have swamped my supply. Let's see if we can find something suitable for young…" Mr. Ollivander paused, allowing Yugi the appropriate time to introduce himself.
"My name's Yugi Moto sir, it's nice to meet you," Yugi said pleasantly as he outstretched his hand, and the elderly gentleman shook it briefly before he gallanted off to search for a befitting wand.
"Ah, here's one. 10½ inches long, carved of boxwood with the collected hairs of a dryad within it. Slick and sure to make sure your spells are swiftly dealt," Mr. Ollivander offered, holding out a wand for Yugi to sample.
Yugi took the wand into his hand, and somehow knew it wasn't the one. However, before he could hand it back an energy suddenly shot from the end of it, making a beeline through the windowpane and finally coming to a siring end upon a poor soul entering the shop across the road. Yugi bit his lower lip and shook his head wordlessly as Mr. Ollivander took the wand back and sighed.
"Perhaps not," he said simply, and Yugi realized the others seemed unsurprised of the wand's reaction. It seemed if you weren't the one to wield it, it was able to tell you.
"Yugi's magical abilities are emerging a bit more rapidly than others, perhaps a wand of greater strength is needed. Do you have something Ollivander? I would like Yugi to have the best before he journeys to Hogwarts," Dumbledore said, and after pondering for a moment, Mr. Ollivander scuttled off to the back of his shop with a finger pointed towards the ceiling in discovery. It seemed he had thought of something.
"Uh Dumbledore? What happens if the more powerful wand decides it doesn't like me and, well, does something like that again only tenfold?" Yugi asked fearfully, but Dumbledore merely smiled encouragingly and awaited the return of Mr. Ollivander.
He emerged once more carrying another wand-box, this time carefully removing the wand and holding it as though presenting a newborn to the world. "This is the finest one I have, 11½ inches long, carved of Ebony wood, hollowed and its centered powered by the hairs and a divided feather of a Sphinx. I don't know if a first-year can wield it properly; the materials for it were donated by a tamer of mystical beasts working for the Ministry. He said only advanced wizards would put it to its full potential," Mr. Ollivander said, but he knew better than to fully question the Headmaster's judgment and handed over the volatile weapon to Yugi, who took it slowly with a trembling hand.
At first there was nothing, and he feared the excess energy would emerge from the wand and possibly harm someone once more, this time more seriously. But there was instead motionless silence where they waited for something to happen, and a moment after he had first grasped it, something indeed did.
It was similar to when the magic of the Millennium Puzzle filled him, and a strangely natural aura suddenly seeped from the wand and wove itself around him, almost as though it were merging with his being. Mr. Ollivander looked utterly shocked while Dumbledore continued grinning with intrigue, having guessed correctly.
"It seems Yugi's brand of magic has indeed given the wand a suitable owner. Now about the price of the wand Mr. Ollivander…" Dumbledore began speaking with the owner while Yugi kept watching it glimmer with amazement.
"And that was just a simple test. Just wait until you put that wand into action," Harry said to him, and Yugi could feel the excitement of it welling up from within him. He had been so tense and worried about this entire situation for the past few hours, but now it was becoming astonishing.
"Tha weather's beginnin' ta look a bit off. I think we should move on b'fore it gets too gloomy ta trudge through," Hagrid said, noticing the first raindrops splattering against the shop windows as Dumbledore handed Mr. Ollivander a small pouch of coins and said his goodbye.
"We probably should have checked the weather before going out today. Anything we get for Yugi is going to end up soaked by the time we get back to the Leaky Cauldron," Harry remarked as they forced their way through the thinning crowd and uncaring rainfall. The clouds overhead were beginning to thicken and reorganize, and the once distant rumblings of thunder were becoming more violent and foreboding.
"We should be done with just a few more stops and then we'll return. I'd prefer we get these errands done now so we can get you and Yugi to somewhere safer. Until then, I want the two of you to stay close to Hagrid and I. No wondering off, as tempting as it may be," Dumbledore said, turning in Yugi's direction with the final part of his warning.
Yugi indeed found it hard to resist simply slipping away and exploring wherever his feet carried him. There were so many destinations to chose from that at times he found himself involuntarily walking a bit away from their group, but he was quickly pulled back in either by Hagrid or Harry, who seemed to find his curiosity amusing.
"Do you think we could come back here sometime and look at these shops again? I wish we had more time to look around and browse," Yugi asked quietly to Dumbledore, who reached up to adjust his spectacles once more before answering.
"I'm afraid we'll only have time for one visit this day, but perhaps another time we'll make a trip out of it since these are pressing times," Dumbledore said with an almost lofty tone, and Yugi continued to survey his surroundings in a carefree manner.
'Isn't this place incredible Yami? I mean, it isn't everyday you see broomsticks you can fly on and robes that'll put themselves on you," Yugi thought to his subconscious companion, who had been silent since their earlier conversation.
'Yes, it is truly fascinating, but you still must be careful Yugi. I'm worried that all these trappings and discoveries are going to divert your attention from the dangers that potentially hide all around you…'
'Are you ever going to stop worrying Yami? I mean Dumbledore and Hagrid seem to be enough to handle anything that may try and harm us, and they've already sworn that they'll keep both Harry and me safe until we've reached whatever stronghold they've chosen. Why is it you never seem relaxed or at ease?'
'Listen Yugi, up until now you've had someone to watch out for you, but you're letting your mind wander and that worries me. I know you to be one who walks into trouble unsuspectingly, and whether you're willing to admit it to yourself or not, you're very naïve at times. Ignorance of darker forces doesn't eliminate their presence, and you seem to be getting lulled into a false sense of security…'
'I wish you'd stop acting like I'm only a kid Yami. I can watch out for myself whether you're willing to admit it or not. Just because of what happened earlier doesn't mean it's going to repeat itself right away. I mean the Minister of Magic seemed intimidated by Dumbledore's magical abilities earlier. Surely those Death Eaters wouldn't be foolish enough to try something with him around.'
'Unfortunately Yugi, he seems to no longer be in sight…'
Yugi suddenly pulled himself from the tremulous atmosphere of his thoughts and found himself staring off into the streaming crowd, but not one of his allies was in sight. He had decreased his pace it seemed to the point where he had drifted far behind them and they had simple gone on without him, unbeknownst to them that he was no longer following.
Instantly he felt his heartbeat slow and pound in his ears as the fear welled up from within him. Suddenly his entire argument for being unafraid was gone, and Yami was right; anyone around him could be an enemy and he was all but defenseless. Yami's magic could only go so far, especially with that massive force that had somehow sent him into a temporary coma within Yugi's own mind. If that happened again and the Death Eaters appeared…he didn't want to think of the outcome. Instead, he began to progress as though he knew where he was going.
He was brutally hit and nearly toppled several times due to the uncaring passerby, who seemed utterly unaware of his presence until they were tripping over him. Yugi flinched and gasped nearly every time he happened to glimpse a black cloak, but many times he was hung across the shoulders of a Hogwarts student or some harmless-appearing shopper who paid him no mind. Besides being tossed about he remained untouched and safe, and there was no sign of aggression from anyone yet.
'Can't you use your powers and sense where Dumbledore is right now?'
'I haven't fully recovered Yugi, and my powers are still limited. Besides, Dumbledore's magical energy is so great that it would have dispersed and been left in so many places that it would be hard to locate where he is.' Yugi resisted the urge to curse and continued through the crowd, catching strange and wonderful smells in the air and still feeling tempted to wander off.
But within another moment or so it appeared something was dreadfully wrong. As he kept traveling down the winding street he began to feel inexplicably weary and battered, as though he had just experienced something trying. His entire body began to ache and throb as though he were being attacked. Eventually, he couldn't walk any longer and came to rest crouching at the entrance of an alleyway between two shops, breathing hard and feeling as though he were being cut to pieces.
'Yami…something's terribly wrong…what's happening to me…' Yugi thought desperately, falling to his hands and knees and feeling the cold, piercing sensation of sweat slipping from his forehead down his paling face.
'Yugi…you have to get away from there! The darkness…'
But before Yami could continued, Yugi looked to his right into the shadows of the alleyway and realized he was no longer alone. Several dark, hooded figures stood, a handful of them murmuring something foreign and muffled as he struggled to get back onto his feet. Their chanting was growing fainter as did the pain, and he finally found the origin of his suffering.
'I should have listened to Yami…'
"Well Yugi Moto, it doesn't appear as though Dumbledore or Harry Potter can help you now…" Lucius Malfoy said, suddenly reaching forward swiftly and forcing Yugi into the darkness amongst the Death Eaters.